The Legend of Zelda: War of Shadows
by Girlaremo
Summary: [TP Universe] A hundred or so years has passed since the Twilight had been separated from Hyrule, but new shadows have grown long and caused trouble for the Hylians. With the shadow beasts killing day by day and the hero cursed by the creatures, who will save the day? {Rated T for mild swearing and possible horror/gore}
1. Chapter 1

Prologue: Hisotria

Years had passed since the Hero of Light had ended his adventure, returning home to Ordon to live the rest of his long life. Living to be at least a hundred years, Link passed. A hundred years of peace gave people time to relax and live their lives as the world intended it.

Young nobles had given birth to new children, becoming part of the government as it was. Some were a bit more interested in people long before their years. There were little things that bubbled up with the people once in a while, but otherwise, everyone was happy to have such a wonderful peaceful time.

Hyrulian royals had come into full power of the senate, and all were in good health. Namely King Ezra and his Queen, Agnes. Both loved by their people, they brought in equality for both men and women of the kingdom and patched the bridge between all races. The Hyrulians, Zoras, and the people of the ones trying to rebuild the Sky Palace with the help of the Occoo.

More time passed and a young and valiant noble boy by the name of Micera was rivaled by Princess Hyrule, fittingly named Zelda, after the princesses before her. Both the births were celebrated with festivals for children and adults alike.

It was when new faces emerged in the state's senate when horrors started to appear out of thin air.

Beasts wrought from darkness started appearing, killing innocent people for no reason other than blood lust. The House Senate suggested that the King propose a training school for knights in the Snowpeak Mountains, ensuring that everyone would have a knight to watch over their towns and homes. King Ezra, out of fear, put the school into motion, and within years, the Hylia Knight Academy was born. Young men and women were brought in to train and become fearless warriors to try and defeat these beasts.

Though this worked for a while, but the attacks on humans became a daily occurrence until the creatures breached the castle walls. King Ezra fought with valiant skills, sending the Princess' nursemaid to take Princess Zelda to a far off place where she would be safe.

When dawn came, the attack was gone, and the castle looked like a battleground. Soldiers wounded and strewn about, some dead, others dying. Among the dead were the king and queen, both mutilated beyond recognition.

Without the king and queen, power went to the senate and the funerals of the king, queen, and assumed dead Princess Zelda. For many years, everyone blamed the senate for the attack. Their 'bad luck' and shady characters brought in the shadows, but even then, the beasts didn't have any hesitation to attack the castle again. One brought order back into place, using an old magic to seal off the castle walls with a spell that kept the shadows from coming in. The method worked, buying back the trust of Hyrule, and said spell was used in every town to keep everyone safe. Senator Milov became ruler of Hyrule, and all worries and fears were forgotten in the golden haze that was Senator Milov's reign.

* * *

 _Chapter 1: Snow_

The great rolling foothills of the Snowpeak Mountains were all Link ever knew. He couldn't remember a father, or a mother, and he certainly didn't have any siblings to count. All he had were a few knick-knacks—namely a slingshot worn from use, a few Deku seeds, a protection charm from long ago, and a blotch on his hand that looked like a triangle. He figured it was just a rash or a birthmark that happened to be geometric in shape, so it didn't bother him much.

Hylia Knight Academy was his home since he was a child. Brought by parents, dropped off, then probably killed by shadows on the way down the mountain. Seventeen years passed, bringing Link to adulthood. Almost ready to go out in the world and protect people everywhere. And to be honest, he was excited to leave. Though he was a bit shorter than anyone in the academy, he was one of the eldest to many brother and sister figures.

So when 'graduation day' came in the East Wing Ward, he got questions all the time. 'Where do you think you'll be stationed?' 'Do you think you'll make it back?' ' Do you ever think you'll see a fairy?' 'What kind of weapon are you going to choose?' 'Do you think you'll protect the princess?' Ah, the princess bit was new news. Just recently, someone said they had found Princess Zelda and she was coming in from the far South near the Ordon. She claimed to have been hiding in the Lost Woods, but nobody had come or gone from the woods for so long, everyone accepted this fact. Everyone was craving some sort of lighthearted feeling of security and peace that they took her in and adopted her with open arms.

As far Link knew, he was probably going to be in Castletown for the rest of his life. Or maybe an outpost in the Faron Woods. It seemed pretty...boring, to be honest. But, it was a life, no less. And he could be living with the government supporting him.

It was just one of those boring snowy days in the mountains. There wasn't any training to do since Link was graduating soon. He and a select few didn't have to do classes for the whole week before the final. That just meant Link could finally sleep in for a little bit.

* * *

 _The air was quiet. All around was a black mist. Nothing could be seen, and the only light was from a tipped over lantern at his feet. How long had he been here? Why was he here? Making a complete turn around, Link took in his surroundings, seeing nothing._

 _Picking up the lantern, the Hyrulian found the ground below him was solid and as long as he kept the lamp light on it. Wandering around against his better judgment, there came the persistent realization: There was nothing here. Just darkness._

 _'Come to me...'_

 _Link made a full turn around, staring into the murky dark. The voice...it sounded familiar. Somehow. It was one of those voices that was soothing, but there was an edge of danger with a hint of venom laced between the calming tones._

 _'Come here, boy'. Walking towards the sound wasn't a good idea, but Link's feet obeyed. Slowly, shuffling became cautious and uneven footsteps. Something churned in the pit of his stomach, leading one hand to fold over his abdomen, pursing his lips into a fine line so that he wouldn't retch. 'Come here, I won't bite...Now stop.'_

 _On command, Link's paces halted, and he was faced with a giant gorge. There was no end in sight, orange and red embers glowered in the distance. Dread filled any spot for emotion in his body, the hair on his neck bristled. 'Don't be so afraid. Jump.' It chuckled, trying to will himself to not jump into the gorge. 'Jump, boy. Jump!' It raised its voice and Link's joints buckled, dropping the lantern into the abyss. 'JUMP!' The ground beneath him shuddered and crumbled below him, dumping him into where the lantern had fallen._

 _Heat billowed up around him, singing his clothing the farther down he went. Then, burning. Skin charred and hair burning away, filling his nose with the awful odor. Screams filled the gorge, along with laughter and someone else's voice._

… …

 _W...e...p!_

 _Wa...ku..._

Wake up.

Wake up, you lazy boy!

Blue eyes snapped open and body jolting forward. A collision of foreheads and the loud groaning of a colleague. "Ah, dammit! That's the last time I wake you up for finals! You hit me in the nose!" The voice belonged to a brown-eyed boy with spiky bronze hair and a tanned complexion to match. "Is it bleeding? Oh holy Hylia, I think it's bleeding."

"Rori, it's not bleeding. Woman up, for goodness sake." The second voice was from the beautiful and stubborn Kori, Rori's twin sister. She had unruly curly hair compared to her brother, who kept his own hair short and ragged. "You were having a weird dream there, blondie."

"Yeah, you were twitching and flailing and it was weird to watch." Rori sat on the end of the bed while rubbing his nose while Kori rocked back and forth on her heels. They were both wearing the training armor that they all wore during lessons. Was it that time already? Sitting up for the second time in bed, Link groaned, rubbing his shoulder. "Woah...You've got a bad rash there..." Rash? It wasn't really a rash...it was just an irritated spot around a freckle. A really dark freckle. It itched terribly whenever he moved it, and the freckle was just as bad. "Might want to get some ointment on that."

"Anyway, it's the big day, so you might want to get armored up and out to the courtyard. From what I hear, the final to get out of here is a tiered battle system. Like I beat Kori, you beat me so we fight other people who won or lost. In theory, it'll get us where we should be."

Well, that was simple enough. Better get out of bed, though. "We'll just leave ya to get dressed. But then again, Kori might wanna wa—oi!"

"Don't say stupid things, idiot! No offense to you, Link, but I wouldn't want to watch some skinny blond boy undress!" Her face was a bit red, but she was serious. As soon as the two left the dorm room, Link sighed and held his head in his hands. What was that dream all about?

Like any other morning, Link stripped his clothes, put on his other clothes and rolled all the bed sheets down to the bottom where he picked them up and threw them in the hamper. Every morning, sheets and clothes would be washed to keep down bug infestations and all those wonderful things. Heading down to the armory, Link listened to some of the conversations going on down the hall. 'Did you hear that Thalia is at the top of the class? She's so tough! She looks like a Goron she's so strong, and she even hurls around a ball and chain!' Link hoped he wouldn't have to fight Thalia. 'Did you see that they had Hyrule Sweets down in the store? My goodness, I could really go for one of the chocolates right now! But all this stress is making me break out...' Some of the girls must really want to look their best on a day like today. 'Did you hear about that nobleman getting a place in the senate? Did you hear that he's got the brightest red hair! It's like he's got flames on his scalp, he's so gorgeous!' Link had heard a bit of the new, very young, very attractive senator in Hyrule. From what he had seen and heard from the occasional news that got up to Snowpeak, his lineage was quite clear. He was very Gerudo on his mother's side and his father was from up North around Snowpeak. Because of this, he must have gotten all the fair features. Sleek red hair, hazel eyes and pale skin. But with the delicate features, he was quite strong, he heard. He won last year's fencing tournament in the Goddess Festival, and also topped in the Best Four of the horseback archery course they had made. All in all...he was a really nice face with a kind personality to match. Link was sure they'd vote him to throne sooner or later.

"Mornin, Link! Here for your usual gear?" Joha was the arm skeeper. He had all the armor and weapons anyone could think of, save for the one slingshot that Link had. Bows and arrows, one or two crossbows, axes, lances, maces...you name it. But, Link was starting to tire of the lance he usually had. He needed to stand out a bit. He had no idea why, but he pointed up to the sword and picked that for the day. "Hunh. Well, it's the last day of your training and you still won't say anything."

"Nope." The voice caught Joha off guard, yet Link just smiled on as he took his gear from the arms keeper. "Thanks Joha."

"...Well I be damned." Joha whispered, blinking a few times and cleaned out his ear quickly to try and see if he had actually heard the usually quiet boy speak.

* * *

"Alright, ladies and gents! If you look up here, here's the bracket board. We've got a small class, so this will go pretty fast and we'll send you to where we assume you'd be able to go. Top of the class goes to tougher places, and then people at the bottom of the class go to places like Orodon and Kakariko. Understand, everyone? Good. We'll start off with Kori and Lyss in the arena, then we'll go on down the brackets."

"Aww man, I get Lyss? She's just this much ahead of me!" Kori groaned, dragging his hands down his face. "And plus it's embarrassing to get beat by a girl."

"You would know, your own sister beat you on the entrance exams!" One of the other students yelled at Kori, who held up his pinkies in retort. It was one of those jokes between the students, and since good conduct was supposed to be used between the students, they came up with their own little gestures.

"Do you see your name up on the board, Link?" Rori asked. The indoor arena was spacious, set up like a Colosseum with wide unbarred seats. Leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees, Rori softened up and sighed.

To be honest, the board was too far away and Links eyes were still blurry from sleep. So, with a shrug, he leaned back and sighed as well.

"You think that you, me and Kori will be far away from each other? I mean, I don't think I'd want to be stuck with a pasty kid like you, but I think it'd be nice to keep an eye on each other." Rori wasn't one to share emotion like this, so the little sentimental bits alarmed the blond. When the cheering in the stands grew louder, the two looked to the arena just as Kori was turned over and slammed on the ground. "What the—She doesn't even have a weapon out! She must have took a lot of time in the martial arts! ...Where's Kori's sword?" It only took a moment to find it, and the upward finger Link held up explained it all. How had they missed Lyss, a small figured girl with long raven-colored hair, throw Kori's sword into the ceiling rafters? "Geez, that girl's a beast."

In the time it took them all to get through half the brackets and to Link's battle, he and Rori had gone through ten sheets of paper, making little paper stars. The little scraps sat at their feet, barely stirred. "...I'm gonna have to go up against that weird goggles kid. I don't even know how he got to the top of the class, but eh. I'm not even sure how you got there, either." Rori teased. She was nervous. It showed in her face and voice. "Wish me luck. Maybe I'll see you at Castletown!" She grinned wider, brushing the paper scraps off her lap and dashed down to the rink just as Kori came up and plopped himself down next to Link.

"Man, I got stuck in dusty old Kakariko. What luck is that?" He groaned, looking down to watch his sibling's battle.

As the battle commenced, Link found himself watching intently. She was a talented ax wielder, and a few blows from the weapon would probably put her opponent out. Something was weird, though. This 'goggles kid' was top of his bracket. He had demolished all the kids below him, and now, Rori was next.

"She's gonna win, right?" Already things looked odd as they circled around. He was rolling up his sleeves when he drew his weapon, trying to get a good slash at her. Of course, she used the giant ax to hide and block his move, followed by a few slashing hits. He was startled of course by her quick movement even if she was carrying something that was easily one third her weight. "C'mon, Rori! You can beat him!" Kori cheered, waving his fist around. People around him started chanting, creating a blur of names.

Rori was overwhelming him. The anxiety of the match and the overall cheering was starting to crack him down and his ballsy strikes were becoming more defensive than offensive. Dripping sweat and some scratches and dirt, Rori gave a mighty cry and hit him with the flat of her ax, sending him flying to the far right. The judges gave their scores, marked down a few names and then continued on. "Rori versus Thalia!" They must had thought it was a game. Putting impossible matches to the test.

Rori paled considerably, almost dropping her ax at the sheer mention of the buff girl. She was tanned like a Goron, hair pulled back into a short and messily cut ponytail, and she stood like a giant. "Oh Gods have mercy on me."

"Thalia's farther up the bracket, though!" Kori yelled, shaking his fist at the judges. "Come on, have some mercy!" Link pulled him back down, wincing at the fight already starting. Thalia was on her windup. Rori was being smart by getting in close as she threw the ball and chain, but that was also her fatal flaw. When the ball and chain came back, Rori faced the iron surface just as it knocked her back into the wall, knocking the air out of her. Dropping her weapon, she gasped and coughed, soliciting a few curses from Kori, who threatened to stand up again.

Thalia grinned widely and smoothed her hair back, going again for a windup as Rori got up. Disoriented, Rori barely noticed the blunt weapon fly past her and come back to throw her to the other side of the arena. The ax went flying as Rori rolled in the dust. Two hits, and she struggled to get up. As Thalia came closer, she dropped to the ground, giving a sigh of defeat, but it wasn't enough. Thalia was about to drop the ball and chain on top of her, sending Link out of his seat, along with Kori right in front of him. " _Don't you DARE!"_ Kori screamed, dashing out in front of Thalia to tend to his sister. Link stood in front of them both, trying to act as a shield. "Why didn't you stop when she stopped?! Hunh!? You could have killed her with that thing!"

"Tch! The headmaster would have stopped me, you know!" Thalia growled, curling her lip up in a sneer. "It's not like she would have made much of a splat anyways. She's made outta muscle. That isn't very satisfying."

Even Link crinkled his nose in disgust while Kori tried to wake Rori up with a potion and some medicine. "Fight me. Fight me in her place, you giant cheater!"

"I'm no cheater! They wrote my name in! See, right where Paulo was and Zander dropped down, they wrote me in!" Thalia argued. "Plus, you're already out of the running! You're not worth a thing to fight!" She smirked widely, looking down at Kori like a triumphant toad.

"I'll fight."

The solo voice took a few by surprise. Thalia arched a brow and cocked her head. "Excuse me?"

Link stood in front of her, sword drawn. "I'll fight for him. The fight was unfair, so I'll make it even." He nodded, gripping the sword handle as she threw her head back and laughed.

"Oh, listen to you! You're gonna sound real stupid when you end up flattened like her!" She chortled loudly. A few students came around to help Rori and Kori out of the rink, keeping a close eye on Link and Thalia. "Ready when you are, Dink!"

Slowly, his plan started to come together. Rori got caught on the backswing. So, he'd avoid the backswing. But how? As the silver chains went flying past his head, Link rushed in just like Rori had done, getting a few hits that didn't even seem to faze Thalia. He noticed the twitch of her muscles and the strain in her face when she started pulling back, until the last moment, Link ducked out of the way and rolled right past her. The ball came flying at her, and the momentum from it sent her stumbling. "You little—!" She yelled, going again to try and hit him. Again, the same happened, and she was starting to slowly wear down. "Come here so I can squish you like a bug!" As Link avoided, the air in the Colosseum grew tense and bright, like popcorn over a fire. She was getting angry and careless. At the end of it all, she threw her weapon aside and started grabbing for the blond, only for him to duck around and push her over just like she was going to do to him.

Thalia pounded the ground and rolled over to face him, making another go to try and at least pin him down and take his weapon. Again and again, he avoided and made small attacks until she went to charge him again...and all her armor fell off. It clanked on the floor in a pile, leaving her clothing and soft spots exposed.

The auditorium was speechless. Seconds went by. A minute.

"All Hail! Link!"

All Hail Link! Giant Slayer! Destroyer! Hero! Link marveled at the cheering and grinned, looking around at all the students that had gathered. Thalia growled and stormed off, leaving Link to wave and listen for his score. There was a sudden ringing in his ear. Probably from the noise, but it was slowly getting louder and it spread to the other ear. It dimmed out the yelling and cheering until it was unbearable, and the crowd of people that had surged from the seats seemed like nothing.

 _Burn with me._

The pain in his arm was so sudden and unbearable that he lost sensation in his knees and fell forward, holding the one arm in agony as he cried out. It hurt so badly! The fabric just made it worse, and it needed to go! He tore at the seam and ripped it away, taking off half of his armor with it. The crowd around him gasped and the pain stopped, the ringing ceased.

"He's got it—he's got the Marks! He's one of them!"

What was a rash and a suspicious freckle had turned into a zig-zagging lightning-like veiny mess on his skin that mingled with the real blue-green veins that ran on his underarm. His whole elbow area was blotchy now, and the inky threads followed the vein's path.

The cheering was now quiet chattering amongst the other students, and a few teachers and guards started to cautiously come closer. "Link, are you feeling okay?" One of them asked, looking him over a couple times before coming to a stop not far from him.

"It's not too bad, it's only on his arm." The Head Nurse of the academy sighed and shook her head. "Come now, let's get you to the infirmary." She mumbled something about 'it' not being contagious just yet, but Link had become exceedingly fatigued. His feet dragged, his body ached and his head spun like a top. And surely, that top stopped spinning and fell forward with a mighty 'THUD'.

* * *

"I don't think we should do this. We shouldn't kick him out just because he's got a little bit of the curse on his arm. I know we can't amputate it, but blessing it would be a better option."

"We have to, otherwise the students will rally and try to kill him themselves. We should have given better teaching about the shadows and the shadow sickness."

The voices mumbled on and on as the blond awoke, reaching up to rub his face tiredly. His left arm was really stiff and it hurt to move it at all. In the distance, there was the Head Nurse and the Academy Officials, along with an unfamiliar face. Probably the head of Snowpeak's Guard System. "We could at least give him enough supplies and warm boots to head down to Castletown or down to the Lanayru Prefecture. The Zoras are all bleeding hearts when it comes to these things. If it's still alive, talking and in need of help, they'll try and mend it."

So they were going to throw him out? They started talking even quieter as Nurse Iliana came over, sighing heavily. She was quite fair with sparkling green eyes, but her mandatory scarf on her head hid most of her hair. She was a bit older, and with that more like a mother to most the students. "Oh Link...today wasn't easy for you at all, was it?" She said softly, almost mother like. The only times he had actually been in the Nurse's Office was when he brought Kori or Rori up after they had gotten in fights over the littlest things. Occasionally he'd come in with a bloody nose or a cold, but nothing more than that. "Could you sit up on the cot for me?" Slowly but surely, she helped Link to an upright position. It nearly drained him to do so, and the exhaustion showed on his face. "You poor thing..."

As far as this went, he regained a bit of his energy when he wasn't moving around, and the elders told him what was going to happen. "Link, we can't keep you here. As long as your arm has the markings it has, you are a danger to the school and its staffing. We never thought something like this would happen, but we did know that the threat was coming farther North." The Headmaster paused for a moment, pursing his lips. "We can give you supplies to get down to the Lanayru District where the Zoras may help you from there. If not, Castletown has a refugee center where people are being taken care of...so I hear."

"You're willing to make him walk all the way down to Lanayru on a hunch?" Iliana asked sternly, idly picking up a glass of water for the young Hylian. "I thought you cared about your students. I wouldn't have thought you'd make them do their death walk just for the security of the school." Slowly watching him drink, Iliana sighed wistfully. "...At least have someone who is going that way escort him." After he was finished, she smoothed the young blond's hair back ever so slightly.

The headmasters conversed for a moment, then looked back to Iliana. "Alright, if you're so in love with the idea, why don't you do it? After all, you did graduate paladin of your graduating class, so why not?"

"That's not what I'm—" She stopped short, being hushed by the headmaster.

"You'll do it, and then you'll come back when he's in Lanaryu. If you can make it down and back on your own time, I think you'll be fine." He smirked slightly, waving for the rest of the council to move. All she could do was stare, her usually kind expression turning quite sour and distasteful.

"It looks like you and I are going to Lanaryu."


	2. Chapter 2

The cold brought out the worst in Link. He shivered uncontrollably, and in his weakened state, it made him tired. Even with Illiana bringing two heavy cloaks along with her and draping them over his shoulders, Link still trembled.

It was quiet in the snow. The only sounds were the crunching noises of the snow shoes she used to walk with and the dragging of the small sled that she was using to carry Link along. "None of the horses want to go out in this...I hadn't realized last night's snow was this terrible..." She said quietly, bringing her scarf up around her face a bit more. She looked like one of the Yettis that lived up in the mountains a bit farther up from the academy. Her cloaks were a slate color from the goats in Orodon. "Thank goodness I got this cloak when I did...It was only at the shop for a day and people were wanting to buy it up. The people of Orodon know how to make such warm items...It's wonderful. You haven't been to Orodon, have you?"

Shaking his head slowly, Link dazedly looked around at the pine trees. They were sparse, but they grew so high that they almost touched the clouds at this high of an altitude. He was still weak, still unable to walk. People had crowded at the windows to watch him leave, making him feel smaller.

"You'd like it Orodon. Wide rolling hills, a river runs through the town...it's grown a lot since my great-great grandmother lived there, and she would have been surprised to see it grow as it has. We have a potion shoppe down there now, along with a family-owned tack and gear shop. They sell things for horses, and that's actually where I got my saddle for Una. They're also famous for pumpkins, so they have a harvest festival each year." The way she talked about it, it seemed like a wonderful place. "Believe it or not, they have pumpkin wine, too. Not my favorite, but I have a glass just to celebrate."

Iliana was like the mother Link never had. She had such soft features, and she'd be wonderful to have as a mother. While it took an hour or two to get down the mountain, there were lingering monsters in the area. Iliana kept quiet and had her hand on her sword for most the trip, glaring up at the mountains where black shapes lurked amongst the snow covered hills. When she did talk, he learned a lot of things about her and what she enjoyed. She had a soft spot for knitting. Iliana had a friend she wrote back and forth with from Kakariko that she held close to her—as in she hid them in her uniform so she could read over them occasionally. Though she was the world's best nurse and the most loving woman in the whole Snowpeak region, Iliana could not bear children. 'It's a sad fate, but there are plenty of children that need homes. I can provide them with that, and love and a good bowl of soup.' One more hour and they were at the base of the peaks, taking a break to get a meal ready.

"Sorry that it's cold—you could use something warm, but I don't have anything to warm the boxed lunches." Iliana sighed, handing Link a boxed lunch with a rice pilaf, some roasted chicken, a bit of greens, and a hard boiled egg. "If you want, I've got water in my canteen and a travel cup. It might freeze a bit, but it'll be refreshing, right?" Up ahead were ice jams. Impassable to the sled, they'd have to pick everything up and walk across. Link's legs were still too rickety to do so, so Iliana would have to carry him along. Being almost one hundred fifty pounds, Link doubted that she could carry him for long. After a quick break of the boxed lunches, Iliana started packing things off the sled. "Better pull those blankets tight. I'll carry you over the ice jams and into Lanryu. Is that alright?"

About to voice his concern, a loud shriek came across the open air, sending their gazes skyward. Monsters. They circled the ridge and started coming downward. "Oh no..." Instead of fighting, she heaved him over her back quickly, eliciting a loud yelp from the Hylian youth. "Hold on tight, I can't fight them all off. There's...there's at least four of them!" She hissed, looking over the slabs of ice, discerning which one was the sturdiest. They all looked rickety! Taking her best bet, she chose the one with the more surface area, wobbling on the ice slab for a moment. Closer and closer they got, like wild dogs. Link had never seen one of the monsters before, but he finally did. Dark looming masses seemingly made out of smoke, long tendrils for fingers, clawed feet, sharp teeth that formed a big, wide smile, and the most gouged out, deep set eyes he could never dream of. At the center of each eye socket, a beady red eye that could invoke the worst nightmares possible. Hopping to the next ice slab, and the next, Iliana wasn't making much progress. Then again, the monsters weren't, either. But, they bashed on the ice, making the frozen pass wave and ripple, making the paladin's compromised balance even worse. Slipping and sliding, she almost got dumped into the water if not for quick jumps to the bigger patches of ice.

The monsters cheered and jeered, making awful screeching noises of delight. Only halfway to the end of the ice jam, Iliana made a few more attempts to quickly pass. One, two... _crack!_ Water poured over a small slab of ice, instantly freezing Iliana's foot into place. Her boots may have been water proof, but it wouldn't be long until something happened and it froze her whole foot through from sheer cold. Already, her nose was bright red and turning a bit dark on the tip. Trying to wrench her foot out, Link watched in horror as they started to come onto the ice. He urged her to hurry, but not in the way she responded in. Sliding off her boot, she made the last few jumps, running through the snow with one snow shoe and a sock on the other foot. There was no way that her foot, let alone her toes were going to last! But, as they were getting closer, Iliana was nearing the entryway to Lanryu and the Zora's Domain. They were gaining quickly, just feet behind them now. Looking back at them, Link could hear them, their voices invoking a trance like state.

 _Prey! Prey! Prey! Jump, boy! Jump off! Let us have your flesh!_

Iliana couldn't hear them, it seemed, but outside of the daze Link was having, she was yelling and screaming for the Zoras as she was climbing up the ridge. "Demons! Demons at the Snowpeak Gate! Let us in! Please!" The frosted gates quickly opened, a bunch of panicked Zoras waiting. Headgear gone, ears red and nose tipped in black with a missing boot, and a very dazed Link, anyone would be panicked. She just barely slid past the gates as they were closing again, stumbling and tripping. Already, she was favoring her boot foot, and her sock was covered in crystals. Heavily breathing, Iliana adjusted Link a bit, who was starting to come around from his daze.

"Madam, are you alright? Why—why are you carrying around a plagued youth? Where is your other boot?!" They were asking her so many questions, and she was still trying to catch up from the escape.

"I-I lost it in the ice jam, my boot froze to the ice, and I had to leave it. I'm okay, but this one needs care. I can't return to Snowpeak until he's cared for, and..." She started swaying, provoking the Zoras to relieve her of the youth, then helped her sit down. When the adrenaline eased away, Iliana breathed slower and looked a bit more at ease, but it still meant that she and Link would have to be taken care of properly. Both of them had light frostbite from being in the mountains out in the air for too long, and Link's long-term illness on his arm was bothering him again. Slowly, he rubbed wide circles into his arm, staring at nothing in particular.

* * *

"So he just recently turned up as marked? Interesting..." The Hylian Shaman to the Zoras in charge of medical concerns had been looking over Link's arm, poking and prodding to test the sensitivity of the skin to see how far along he was in his disease. "...It's moving so quickly, I'm not even sure how long he has before he's completely demonized. I would say something along...Weeks? Maybe a month? As I said, it's hard to tell. Poor boy..." He sighed, picking up his things before looking to Iliana. "As for you, your frostbite isn't as severe. Keep soaking your toes and hold a hot rag to your nose, and you'll be just fine. No toe loss, ma'am."

Though relieved that she was going to be okay, Iliana worried about Link. He still looked weak, even though they were helping him to food and drink, but the mark drained the energy out of him faster than he could replenish it. "What if he gets weaker? Doesn't that make the sickness spread faster?"

The shaman himself didn't look too bad, dark hair, with lovely green eyes and thick eyelashes. A couple of ornamental earrings hung from one ear, and a couple of thick studs on the other, and a gauged piercing on the left lobe. Along with that, there were a few ink markings along his shoulders under the nicely pressed wool cloak he wore. Everything he wore looked tribal, almost like something Old Sheikas would have worn.

"Indeed it does. If you can find a way to get him up and moving, you could potentially lengthen his time before expiration." Furrowing his brows, the shaman looked around in his bag, pulling out a ball of compressed medicine. "This is compressed, dry herbs. Usually I keep this for severe illness, and not things like this, but...If you can get him to consume this, I'm sure he'll perk up immediately. It's got enough to get a Goron moving for days. "It becomes ineffective if you put it in tea, as it leeches out the nutrients. Make an oil paste, crush it up and make a powder, mix it in with porridge, something." Handing the nurse the medicine, they both looked to Link. "You told me he had a chance to guard the Princess, didn't you?"

"He did. He took down one of the tougher seniors in his class, and was going to take on the headmaster. I still think he'll make it, though. I'm sure of it." Iliana looked down at the medicine, holding it tightly in her palm. "What do I owe you?"

"If you don't mind a dinner and possibly an evening together, I think we'd be even." The shaman wasn't bad-looking, but Iliana knew that she wasn't going to enjoy herself very much all through the evening. But, she bore it and smiled charmingly. "I'd be happy to."

With a wide grin on his face, he said his goodbyes and headed down to his home on the lower Zora domain. She crinkled her nose and mumbled to herself. Link was coming around when she had started to grind up the medicine, working it into a fine powder she could add a bit of water to. It wouldn't taste the best, but it'd be worth the hassle of getting it down his throat.

"Don't be surprised of Shaman Aaron tries to act smooth around you. He hasn't had a girlfriend since his broke up with him last spring." One of the Zoras had come to bring a few more items for Iliana. She was a purpleish color—possible royal lineage, she assumed. "He's been crazy over women to the point of trying to woo the Zora women. He knows deep down they don't like Hylians."

"I'm sure. I'm not fond of him myself." She replied, scraping the pestle around the mortar. "Just the sheer look at him makes my skin crawl. He's some sort of snake, isn't he?"

"But of course." She sat the items down on the floor. Another blanket, a down-filled pillow and another basin of water. Taking a moment to examine the two, the Zora woman tilted her head. "You're not his mother, are you?"

"No, I think Link originally came from Castle Town. His mother that dropped him off was gorgeous, and she spoke with their kind of tone."

"...I'm not comprehending."

"...It's a Hylian thing. Depending where you live, you speak differently. I used to live in Orodon, therefore I talk a bit different." She sighed, dumping the medicine powder into a bowl before putting a couple drops of cool water in to dampen it. "Either way, I'm sure we don't look that much alike. After all, I'm not old enough to even _be_ his mother."

"I was only assuming since you were so diligent on taking care of him. Don't your injuries worry you?" She had a point. She should be soaking her foot and doing as Aaron had said, but...

"I'm hoping to lose the toes so Aaron loses interest." Iliana snorted. "What's your name?"

"Miruto. Daughter of the Queen. I'm the third eldest of the Singing Zoras." She smiled a bit, which was odd to see on a Zora. Their gills flared a bit as the corners of their mouths went farther upward. She chuckled when Iliana went quiet, staring her down for a few moments before she waved her hand. "Don't be upset, mother knows I'm here. You don't have to worry about addressing me as 'Princess'."

"Thank Hylia..." Iliana sighed, going back to mixing the paste. "You scared me for a moment. I thought you were setting me up to get in trouble."

"Now why would I do that?" Cocking her head to the side, Miruto made the scales that resembled eyebrows move upward. "I'm not that cruel. The worst I could do is try for an abrupt swim."

"I wouldn't appreciate that at all." Taking the bowl in hand, Iliana picked up the wooden spoon provided and tried to ruse Link enough to make him take the medicine. It ended up she had to water it down a bit more than she wanted to and spooned it into his mouth, setting off quite the chain of events. Instantly, his face contorted and his marked arm went to remove the paste, but acting quickly, Iliana pinned him down. "Link, I'm trying to help, don't...make me-" She hissed, leaning over to pin both his arms by practically laying on him and used her free hand to get more into his mouth. After that, he clamped his jaw shut, and tried to swallow, but it just wasn't happening. "He's just pocketing it in his mouth..."

"Mind if I try something?" Miruto scooted a bit closer to the squirming Hylian took his face in her hands, puffed up her cheeks and did some sort of...kiss thing? In reality, she jetted water into his mouth and made him swallow with a loud sputter of protest from Link. "That should do it." It was a bit macabre and unusual, but it went down.

With the first round of medicine down, he already looked better. He squirmed less and was more aware. The next few bits weren't all that hard, and with each one, Link resisted less. And less. Though he had taken it all, he was still a bit weak and all that struggle made him tired again. So, while the medicine worked, he slept and Iliana leaned back and let him do so. "...Who would have thought I'd get this much excitement in two days..." Iliana mumbled, pushing her head scarf back so that she could push her bangs and short hair back. "This has gone too fast...and too easily. There's probably going to be a catch here somewhere."

"Or maybe this is just an easy break for you and this youth." Miruto got up slowly and cast one more look at the youth. "Feel free to call if you need to go and rest. One of the Zoras could watch him for a while."

"It's fine, he'll wake up sooner or later. Until then, I can rest, too."

* * *

The halls of the castle were tall, looming and quite dark all the time. Nobody knew, but the demons were inside, slumping around like lazy cats. Some slept in the corners, others were on the floor, curled up in neat little piles. She didn't like them. They weren't really her thing. Zelda sighed and stepped over another shadow as she went along to her study. She didn't quite like the 'traditional gown' she was wearing. The purple made her hair look dark. It didn't look right with her green eyes. Some had told her she didn't look like she came from the royal line, but she told them she did. Oh, she did. She had her father's eyes, and her mother's smile, they said.

As time went by, Zelda felt empty. She had everything she needed, her servants loved her, her people were immobilized by their love for her, and anytime she went out to walk in the streets, people tried to swarm around her and tell her how wonderful she was to them. Something wasn't right. She didn't like it. It was like warm milk being slowly laced with lemon juice, slowly curdling the cream. She had something nice, but she knew that something would happen and it would be torn from her.

As she locked herself in her study, she stared at the mirror on the far wall. She was Zelda. Princess of Hyrule, loved by all Spitting image of her father, with the temperament of her mother. Kind, gentle, lovely Princess Zelda. Rescued from the Faron Woods, brought home and pampered with love. Beautiful Zelda, precious Zelda, 'Our fair princess'.

Slowly, Zelda slid down the door and pulled her knees to her chest.

Maybe being the princess wasn't her cup of tea.

* * *

There had become a schedule in the Zora Palace. Beds had been made in the above-water chambers for Iliana and Link. Medicine came once in the morning, and then at noon. Mixed in with breakfast, and then at night. Day by day, Link got stronger again, and the medicine faded the lightning-like pattern on his shoulder. By the fourth day, Link was up and moving, expolring the Zora Domain.

While it felt nice to swim in the cool water, Link only did so much of that in his worn out clothing. One shoulder was missing off of his shirt, and his worn brown pants didn't do much for him other than keep his skin covered. Boots were sitting in the room where he and Iliana slept, as it was warm enough to leave them.

Iliana on the other hand was helping with chores around the area. Feeding two extra people was easy, but it still meant that they needed help. Such kindness was enjoyed here.

The Zoras didn't take much interest in him, as they had seen Hylian boys before, and once you saw one, you saw them all, it seemed. The Shaman Aaron usually frequented around the area, taking care of those with injuries caused by being careless, or getting torn up by bublins that still roamed the area occasionally. Why they came so far North was a mystery.

As the day went by, Link sighed and looked at what was left of the mark, spidery-veiny looking markings that still tingled and stung when he touched them. Everything else looked fine, and he was finally getting well enough to start running around.

It was a boring afternoon of wandering, wading around in the shallows. "Hey kid!" One of the young Zoras called, waving him over to the other end of the shallow waters. "You wouldn't wanna join in a game of volley, would you? We just need one more person to join and there's nobody else around. Whaddya say?"

He had played volley when the other students of Snowpeak had breaks, but he wasn't _that_ great at it. So, he shrugged and nodded, wading over to where the makeshift net made out of discarded fishing net and tangled with fishing line and bobbers. The ball itself was made of red fish leather—probably from reekfish. "Alright, I'm gonna serve and you can't let it hit the ground, alright? Just...volley it over!" The ball was thrown in the air and slapped, hit over the net and bounced up again, then over the net. "Your ball, Hylian!" Rushing forward through the water, he bumped the ball with his fingertips, setting up for another Zora to jump out of the water and spike the ball. "Alright, good set! Way to ace, Ari!"

The eight of them kept the game up for a while, until Link was panting and struggling to keep up. Dripping with sweat and water, there was a faint smile on his face. "I think we've been playing long enough...Hylian over here looks like he's getting tired." "You think Iliana will be upset we tired him out?"

"Don't think so. She wants him to get up and going, right?" Another asked, looking to Link. "You _are_ okay, right?"

Nodding slowly, he waded out of the water, still with that light smile on his lips. Taking a step out of the water suddenly made him jolt, the searing pain in his arm came back all at once, the mark growing quickly. His loud cries could be heard throughout the area, along with distant screams from monsters approaching.

"Link!" Shaman Aaron and Iliana came quickly from opposite directions, trying to calm him. "I missed his medication—I-I didn't mean to!" Link crumbled, even if Iliana was trying to drag him out of the water, he became deadweight. "Aaron, do something!"

The shaman was fumbling through his bag, glancing behind him every so often, making sure nobody was coming to invade. The Zoras who had been previously playing were staring, some with their fins over their mouths with wide eyes. "I can't—He's seizing up!" Thrashing around and clenching his jaw he stopped for a moment, hissing through his teeth as the mark eased up his shoulder and neck. Quickly, Aaron grabbed a hold of Link's neck, pressing his thumb and fingers against the veins. Slowly, he stopped thrashing and the markings slowed as a soft light came from Aaron's fingertips. "That's it...That's it, just let go, just sleep..." He cooed lightly, rapidly thinking of what he could do next. As the blond's eyes slipped halfway shut and Aaron was sure that he was out, he leaned back and took a breath.

"What did you do?!" Iliana nearly yelled, pushing the other's hand away, looking at the bruises left behind. "You could have ki-"

"I wasn't going to kill him. It's practical, and it got him to relax. While I'm no true doctor, I do know that cutting off blood supply and a bit of magic can help calm someone down. If he's not with us, he can't take the medication that _you_ missed. He could choke on it." With a pause, Aaron shook his head. "I'd hate to say it, but he's quickly getting out of my range of care. Next thing you know, he'll be like the ones in Castletown. Half marred, slowly changing. I'd say within at least three weeks, he'll be..."

"You can't say that for sure!" Iliana hissed in remark, glancing down at Link. "What about the springs? I've heard that the springs help alleviate the symptoms!"

"The nearest spring is in Kakariko, and even then, that's a long way from here with someone who could potentially kill you on the way there! Not to mention most of the sacred springs around here are worthless! This boy is dangerous now!" Aaron argued, pressing his lips into a thin line. "Iliana, your best bet would be to-"

"Don't you dare say it." She hissed back at the other, pulling Link up from the ground. "I'm not giving up on him. There's something great about Link, and I don't want to give up."

"You have a lot of gall to carry around a deadweight like that, you know." The shaman glowered at the nurse, giving back the stinging tone she gave him.

"I suppose I do. It's not going to stop me from saving him, though." With a grunt, Iliana pulled the other a bit closer, slinging him over her back. "If it doesn't bother anyone, I'd like some help in packing up my things, along with Link's. I plan on heading to Kakariko by tomorrow morning."


End file.
